This invention relates to a processing method of a light-sensitive silver halide color photographic material (hereinafter abbreviated to as light-sensitive material), particularly to a processing method which processes with a processing solution substituted for washing using a small amount of water during a washing treatment which uses a large amount of water processed after a bleach-fixing processing.
In recent years, in a photofinisher which is carried out a development processing of a light-sensitive material automatically and continuously, problems of environmental preservation and water resources are granted as important and it has earnestly been desired to diminish or become zero a small amount of washing water used in a washing treatment successively processed after bleach-fixing processing.
Thus, methods in which an amount of washing water used with a large amount is diminished are provided and it has been known a method as a technique in which an amount of washing water is to be made small by constituting washing tanks to a multi-layered and by flowing water backward as described in West German Pat. No. 2,920,222 specification and S. R. Goldwasser, "Water flow rate in immersionwashing of motionpict ure film", Jour. SMPTE, 64, pp. 248 to 253, May (1955) as a technical literature. Further, a method in which washing treatment is abbrebiated and without carrying out washing substantially to carry out a stabilizing treatment (a treatment substituted for washing) as disclosed in Japanese Provisional Patent Publications No. 8543/1982, No. 14834/1983, No. 134636/1983 and the like.
A pre-bath of such a stabilizing treatment contains a thiosulfate, and a staying time of processing solutions used in these processing is extremely prolonged when the aforesaid pre-washing using a small amount of washing water or a multi-stage countercurrent washing using a small amount of washing water is carried out or when a processing substituted for water washing processed by supplementing a small amount of supplementing solution is carried out without carrying out a washing processing using large amount of washing water, after a bleach-fixing processing which solution contains the above thiosulfate. Accordingly, it exists a disadvantage that fine black precipitates will likely be generated in the processing solution during preservation or allowed to stand.
In order to eliminate such a disadvantage, as a method in which precipitation of sulfates during washing processing is to be prevented, there is known a technique of adding a polyalkyleneoxide series nonionic active agent in a washing tank as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,446. Further, a technique in which an isothiazoline or benzisothiazoline compound is added in a washing water is known as disclosed in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 8542/1982.
However, prevention effects of the above techniques are insufficient and further a technique in which there is no problems concerning staying in the washing water and the stabilizing processing solution has been desired.
Further, when a supplementing amount of a processing substituted for the washing is more diminished or when a processing time is made short, there is a disadvantage that a concentration of a bleach-fixing component in the final tank of the stabilizing solution substituted for the washing is increased whereby a yellow stain at an unexposed portion of the light-sensitive material is increased due to a long period of preservation.
Moreover, there is a disadvantage that a contamination substance is remained at an unexposed portion just after the processing, and in such a case, if the light-sensitive material is a printing paper, contamination at a white portion becomes serious problems since the unexposed portion of the printing paper is a white ground. Further, it is always required by a user that the processing is carried out rapidly.